Fergus Style Punta Arabi

"Our room was a small standard (although there was enough space to lay cases on the floor), the outer door opens straight into the bedroom and the small bathroom (which had a door by necessity!) was to the left. The toilet itself sat on a slight angle which meant the shower door hit the toilet bowl on opening but there was still just enough space to get out. The shower (door) leaked so the bathmat was soaked every time we used it. There was, however, plenty of hot water and even though we hung up our towels they were changed every day - the hotel requests that if you want towels changing you put then IN the shower, which we didn't but they were replaced regardless. Unfortunately, the sheets did not seem to be changed at all in the 9 days we were there and although the duvet was pulled up and the bed 'remade' to look nice the bottom sheet was never smoothed out and was left wrinkled from our previous night's sleep. The aircon system was good and I couldn't have survived without it on at night. Personally for me a duvet was too hot to sleep under and I'd have preferred the option of a top sheet as well as an either/or. The room was clean but with it being a standard room there was no outdoor space included to hang wet swimwear up to dry which meant it was then draped where it could in the bathroom or from door handles. There was enough space outside where it could've been extended into a small terrace for a chair or two but even a couple of outdoor hooks to hang stuff on would've been helpful. There were enough hangers for clothing plus a couple of shelves underneath. There was a small safe and a small fridge which had a large bottle of water in it which we did use but didn't empty so I don't know if it would've been replenished or not during our stay. The immediate gravelled area outside our room transformed into the Hippy Market on the Wednesday, we heard them start to set up from about 7.30am but it wasn't intrusive. Our room was at the top of the steepish slope that led up to the pool so that was a bit of exercise for us every day! The pool itself is cordoned off until 10am whilst they jet wash the grounds so there is generally a queue waiting to get in but there are loads of sunbeds provided so we always had ample choice. We chose to sit in the quiet area to the right away from the pool itself and overlooking the lovely sea view. The restaurant is at the bottom of the hill near Reception and whilst most of the seating was inside there are also tables outside. It has a lovely look and feel and the staff were friendly and cleared tables immediately. Yes, there were busy times when there weren't any spare forks, or spoons, etc., left but that was rectified if you asked. Breakfast is served until 10.30am, lunch until 3pm and the evening meals until 9.30pm. It took us a day to get our head around the restaurant layout as it is over two levels and things are a bit chaotic as in the butter is kept on the lower level in the 'cold' section and not up by the toasting machines (understandably) and there are only 3 coffee machines - which did make decent coffee - but they also served to provide the hot water for tea so you had to queue up and wait your turn which took time. Then the milk is elsewhere in the 'cold' section, but no small jugs provided so you had to pour some milk into a glass to take to your table by which time the tea was lukewarm, your toast has cooled and your main meal was also cooling off. But the food overall was very good and plentiful, you won't starve for want of finding something to eat and they did some themed evenings such as sushi and bao buns, sweet & sour pork and rice, but there were also other choices alongside. Sangria is 'on tap' and it is very good. Other drinks such as beer and wine were also available. The hotel sits about a 10 minute walk from the main Es Canar resort/beach area and we walked up some evenings to have a drink and a walk around the 'souvenir' shops. Other restaurants are there too. I can highly recommend the Irish coffees at the Jacaranda and at Charlie's though one is about twice the price of the other! The Hippy Bar at the hotel is a tented area and quite brightly lit with plastic tables and chairs. The evening entertainment varied, usually a singer, some good, some okay. They finish at 10.30pm. The Caramull 'all inclusive' outdoor café bar is situated on the slope up to the pool and we ate lunch there some days. Great Caesar salad and wonderful chips, also burgers and hot dogs available, highly recommend it. You can get the ferry from Es Canar round to Ibiza town (via a couple of other stops) for $34 return each or the 10am ferry goes on to Formentera, $52 return each but if you are going to Ibiza town on the 10am you need to change at Santa Eulalia. Unfortunately they don't tell you that when you book online - ! Ibiza town is lovely and the old town is wonderful to do with great views from the top over the harbour and also over to the airport to the right. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel and it is cheaper to pay onboard by card. A single journey into Santa eulalia which takes 15/20 minutes is only $1.70 so very cheap and accessible. I think Ibiza town on the bus is about $4.00. The downside to the holiday (for me) was getting badly bitten - but as you are situated in a grove of pine trees it is going to happen unfortunately. And it is a big scattered resort with rooms spreading out on all sides. And although we had a plug-in Repeller in our room it didn't make any difference. There was also a visible gap all the way around the door so insects and mozzies can still get in and we never dared open the bathroom window for the same reason. We got a good bite cream from the pharmacy which helped. Overall, I wouldn't class this as a 4 star hotel, more a 3/3.5 star, but whilst I personally wouldn't go back (because of the insects and mozzie bites) I enjoyed the holiday, the grounds are pretty and well maintained and it looks lovely all light up at night. Staff are lovely, friendly and always willing to help."

"Pretty average stay. The pool area feels very cramped but due to the insane amount of sun loungers they’ve crammed in there was always somewhere to sit. I did spend €100 on two days of Bali bed hire which was definitely worth it for the extra comfort and space it provided. The view out to sea from the pool area is lovely and the staff are really friendly and helpful. The rooms are nice and spacious, but ours was noisy at times and the bed was like sleeping on a slab of concrete. The buffet restaurant has a wide selection of food which is relatively good quality and was replenished regularly. The real major disappointment is the seating areas. Inside the restaurant has a distinct canteen feel. There is a nice outside seating area but it is incredibly brightly lit, with no music and surrounded by open concrete space (for the hippy market that takes over on a Wednesday) so it feels a bit like you’re having dinner in a car park and retains the same astmosphere. The “hippy bar” area is another huge disappointment with the same austere bight lighting and uncomfortable plastic chairs and tables (which were actually full most nights) and zero atmosphere. It’s like the end of the night..all night. The entertainment provided was definitely not to my taste and felt very like a holiday camp, with the exception of one night when they had a DJ. We struggled in the evenings as we had come for a rest so didn’t really want to venture out too much, just wanted to enjoy a few drinks in chilled, comfortable surroundings and didn’t have anywhere to do that. The actual hotel is really lovely little white washed buildings set in some beautifully planted gardens. However because of the set up for the weekly market there is a lot of open, bare concrete which isn’t really the best vibe. Overall I came to rest and managed to do that for the most part so not an unsuccessful holiday."

"A mixed stay — great food and pool, but rooms and service fell short of 4 stars We stayed in rooms 3201/3202 in September as a group of four friends, and this hotel is a genuine mixed bag. On the plus side, the restaurants were bright and lovely, the buffet selection was excellent, and the pool area had plenty of seating — all easily 4-star. Unfortunately the rooms didn't match that standard. We were given two doubles instead of the twins we needed for four friends travelling together, with no alternative offered. The rooms themselves were the smallest we've encountered — damp-smelling, with tiny windows letting in little light, thin walls, and a bathroom so cramped you hit your head on the boiler using the toilet. No kettle or tea/coffee facilities, no balcony or terrace to get air or dry swimwear, and a small fridge sat on the floor. The cleaners never replaced the drinking glasses and the water in the fridge was never replenished. Realistically a 2–3 star room. The gym was similarly underwhelming for a hotel this size — just a treadmill, a bike, and dumbbells up to 10kg, nowhere near what the website suggests. Service was slow throughout, yet plates were cleared the moment you put your cutlery down, and tables were only ever laid for two, so groups had to rearrange furniture themselves. The pool bar had long queues all day, and we were surprised by the €10 cash deposit per towel. The location is also fairly quiet — Santa Eulària, a 10-minute taxi away, felt far more like a proper resort."